Please note that the submission of a candidate statement was voluntary, so not all candidates listed on the ballot will have a statement.

Candidate: Karyn K. Blane, PsyD

Office: Council Representative

Candidate Statement:

I am honored to stand for election for RIPA’s Representative to the APA Council. Although new to APA governance, I am excited by the opportunity to use my expertise from 24 years of clinical practice to support my colleagues and help the association.

My interest grows out of my specialty in autism treatment, an area of much needed advocacy, and my community service in making home based programming available to children and families. I was closely involved with maintaining a psychological presence at the RI State House and helping RIPA negotiate important changes to the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) licensing law in 2015. While master’s level degrees focus on particular areas and generally provide an understanding about data collection, overall the programs do not prepare their students for independent practice with the breadth of knowledge and clinical experiences that doctoral psychologists have. Establishing clinical practice guidelines continues to be of utmost importance to advance best practice standards. In addition, advocacy efforts are essential to share practice information, promote positive changes, and challenge barriers to practice. Helping psychologists to create new opportunities means increasing education and outreach to improve collaboration and address regulatory barriers. Integration of APA’s current C3 and C6 functions is necessary to enable the association to engage in the advocacy we need.

Thank you for your consideration. I appreciate this opportunity to represent and support the association.

I am honored to seek re-election as RIPA's Council Representative to the APA. My continued service will be guided by my sincere commitment to professional psychology and by my experience as a clinical and forensic psychologist with demonstrated expertise in the areas of ethics, professional practice, healthcare reform and advocacy.

Since earning my Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island in 1995 and licensed in 1997, I have demonstrated sustained and active involvement and leadership in both RIPA and APA. I have consistently been a strong and effective advocate both locally and nationally on critical issues for the practice of psychology, including mental health parity; integration of behavioral health with primary care; increased oversight of insurance companies by the RI office of the Insurance Commissioner; and marriage equality.

I have been an active member of RIPA since 1996, and in addition to Council Representative, I have served as RIPA's President, Secretary, and as a member of the RIPA Ethics, Colleague Assistance and Legislative Committees, the Healthcare Taskforce, and the HealthSource RI Expert Advisory Committee. I am also involved in the development and implementation of a collaborative practice model connecting behavioral and primary care health specialists. Nationally, in addition to membership in several APA divisions, I am a Fellow for Division 42 (Independent Practice), and a founding member and current Treasurer of Division 56 (Trauma Psychology).

I thank you for your consideration and look forward to continued service to our profession.